St. Joseph: Group raises fluoride concerns

A group of locals concerned about the use of fluoride in the public water supply met to learn more about the issue at East Hills Library on Thursday night.

The discussion was led by Richard Taylor, an area clinical psychologist affiliated with the Fluoride Action Network. The group opposes the addition of fluoride in drinking water.

Mr. Taylor said the ultimate goal is to work toward convincing city officials opt out of using fluoride.

“We’re trying to educate the citizens of St. Joseph as to the adverse health effects of fluoride in drinking water,” he said. “Things that people probably aren’t even aware of.”

… According to reports previously published in the News-Press, in 1963, voters rejected a fluoride ordinance by a margin of 500 votes. Fifteen years later, the City Council moved to put the decision before the people in the Nov. 1988 election, where voters approved fluoridation by a narrow margin. The city’s water supply has included fluoride since 1989.

In the 1988 vote, St. Joseph residents approved the addition of 1 part per million of fluoride in the water. In 2011, the City Council approved the reduction to .7 parts per million, in line with federal recommendations.

When the issue of whether to end fluoridation came before the City Council in 2012, a Missouri American Water spokeswoman told the council that the city’s water naturally contains about .3 parts per million of fluoride before any fluoride is added.